Traffic signal



J. C. HORNEY.

TRAFFIC SiGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED Now-25. 192i.

Patented Apr. 25, 1922. 7

31 L004 11'01 [6 flo/mw Y JEFFREY c. H'oRNEY, or DALLAS, Texas, Assrei fon T0 'OF'DALLAS, TEXAS.

a signal apparatus having.- acontinuously moving'ta rget. Another object is to provide mechanism of simple construction for operating the" target, said mechanism being driven by an electric motor.

A particular feature of the invention resides in; means for keeping the operating mechanism well lubricated. Another feature resides in a resilient member connecting the motor with the mechanism.

A construction designed to carry out the V invention will be hereinafter described to gether with other features of the invention;

7' The invention will. be more readily under-. stood from a reading of the following spec1-1 fication and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an example of the invention is'shown and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged vertical sectional.

view of the operating box, showing the elec tric motor and operating mechanism therein, Fig. 2 is an elevation of a signal apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the gears of the operating mechanism. In the drawings the numeral 10 designates an upright post or support. Mounted on top of the post is an operating box 11, which has a slot 12 in the top adjacent one end; A rock shaft 13 is mounted transversely and centrally of the slot and supported in hearing brackets 14. An upright arm 151s mounted on theshaft, so that its upper or outer end extends through the slot 12, while its lower portion depends from the shaftinto the operating box. The upper end of the arm carries a target l6 which may be of any suitable design and is displayed clearly above the box. g

Located in the opposite end of the operating box is an operating mechanism 17 which is driven by an electric motor 18 mounted on a suitable support 19. The mechanism in application filed November 25; ieaiy 'serieino'. 517,468.

cludes a worm gear 20 fastened on a transverse shaft 21 which has'its bearings in upright supports 22 located on each side of 'a hous1ng23 covering the gears. worm screw 24, is disposed longitudinally. and above the gear 20's0 asto mesh therewith.

housing for the shaft of the said screw, the" ade a orinirn'rt, messes...

Specification or Letters raisin. Patented Apr. 25, f

co Suitable bearings- 25 "are provided in the 1 driving end 26 of. which extends through the housing and is connected to the shaft of the Il'lOtOI by means of a lGSllIGlll) connecting member 27. Thesai'd member as showniin' the drawings is in the form of a spring, however, any other connecting member ofa resilient character may be used, if desired. The resilient memberis of particular advantage as 'it will bere'adily seen that the said member compensates for any distortion'or unalignment of shafts, thereby. preventing the motor from heating becauseof lateral displacement'ofthe armature thereof.

prises a tank forcontaining lubricating oil in whichthe gear 20 revolves. It is pointed out that the-gear and screw are therebykept well lubricated, and it will be readily seen that sufficient oil issplashed and thrown "7 5 I The lower portion of the housing 23 'co'm- I from the revolving gear to lubricate the f bearings thereof as well as the bearings of thescrew. V Mounted on the outer end of the shaft 21 and secured by means of a setscrew 28 or the like, isva bar 29 to one end of which is piv oted apitman 30, theother end of the pitman being pivoted to the lower end of the arm 15. It will be readily seen that as the whereby the arm get is swung.

On each side of the operating boxand mounted on the post or support 10 is a sigbelow the signal board, on which suitable matter may be displayed.

It is pointed out that an apparatus constructed in. accordance with my invention provides snnple and efficient meansfor op .90. bar is rotated, the pitman is reciprocated,

15. carrying the signal tar erating a continuously moving signal target.

The construction comprises a minimum number of parts, and the operating mechanism is self lubricating.

. Varlous changes 1n the slze and shape of the different partsas well as modifications may be made, without departing from the spirit of the invention. hat I claim,'is:

1. In a trai'iic signal, the combination of an upright support, an operating box mounted on the top of the support, a continuously swinging trafiic signalling target carried by the box, an electric motor mounted in the box, a worm gear mechanism mounted in the box, a resilient member connecting the motor with the gear mechanism, a rotating bar carried by the said mechanism, a pitman connecting the target with the said bar, and a housing enclosing the said mechanism.

2. In a traffic signal, the combination of an operating box having a slot in its top, a target arm pivotally mounted and extending through said slot, a target on said arm above the top of the box, an electric motor mounted in said box,,a worm connected directly with the motor shaft, a worm wheel meshing with the worm, a bar mounted intermediate its ends on the shaft of-the Worm wheel, and a pitman having one end pivotally connected with one end of the bar and the other end pivotally connected with the lower end of the target arm.

3. In atratiic signal, the combination of an operating box having a slot in its top, a target arm pivotally mounted and extending through said slot, a target on saidarm above the top of thebox, an electric motor mounted in said box, a gear housing mounted in the box, a Worm mounted in the upper por tion of the housing, a shaft extending transversely from the housing, a Worm Wheel in the housing and meshing with the Worm, the worm having a flexible connection direct with the motor shaft, the housing containing a bath of oil in which the worm Wheel is inn mersed, a rotating member mounted on the transverse shaft exteriorly ofthe housing, and a pitma-n having one end pivoted to the rotating member and its opposite end=piv- 45 oted to the lower end of the target arm.

In testimony Whereo'fI affix my signature.

JEFFREY G. HORNEY, 

